I-435/I-35/K-10 interchange among improvements governor says will be funded

The Kansas Department of Transportation released the following announcement about the projects:

The projects include the first two phases of the Johnson County Gateway project at Interstate 435/Interstate 35/Kansas Highway 10, one of the biggest bottlenecks in the state; and the long-discussed South Lawrence Trafficway.

The announcement at the Kansas Speedway concluded a four-day, five-city tour of the state to announce $1.8 billion in highway expansion projects under the transportation program T-WORKS, passed by the 2010 Kansas Legislature.

“These projects will create thousands of jobs and benefit local communities during construction,” Brownback said. “But more importantly for the overall success of our state, these projects will provide the infrastructure needed to create or take advantage of economic opportunities that will have a lasting impact on the Kansas economy.”

The projects announced this week range from the large, economic engine projects in the Kansas City area to safety improvements such as passing lanes, expanded shoulders and geometric improvements on rural stretches of Kansas highways. Brownback, accompanied by Kansas Transportation Secretary Deb Miller, visited Wichita, Fort Scott, McPherson, Dodge City and Kansas City, Kan.

“The projects we’ve announced this week were widely supported by Kansans,” Miller said. “Over the last five years, we conducted dozens of public meetings around the state with thousands of Kansans and you told us what was important to you. Local input was a significant factor in the selection process of these projects, along with engineering considerations and economic impacts.”

Other projects announced Friday include the improvement of the I-70/K-7 interchange in Wyandotte County, a new I-35 interchange between Edgerton and Gardner considered critical to handle the expected increase in large trucks associated with the intermodal facility now under construction at Edgerton, and construction of a four-lane, two-mile expressway on U.S. 24 in Shawnee County.

Two of the projects mentioned by the governor Friday were first announced during a February event in Overland Park — expansion of U.S. 69 in Johnson County and expansion of K-18 in Riley County.

The full list of projects announced this week can be viewed on the T-WORKS website at ksdot.org/t-works.